Illusions
by jaderaid
Summary: Missiles and Magic I. Beka is kidnapped by a shapeshifter, who wants to take over the Andromeda. With the shapeshifter looking like Beka, will anyone be able to stop it? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: This takes place in Season 4 not long after 'The Spider Stratagem'. (And I'm sorry, but it is a crossover!) Some things I'm not sure of (like can you put a ship on auto-pilot in Slipstream?) but I just put what I thought and hoped it was right. I love sci-fi and Andromeda, but, as you might be able to tell from the story, I'm more of a fantasy writer than a sci-fi writer. But then my friend calls me on the phone and asked me to write and Andromeda fan fiction, so, well, here it is. R&R would be really appreciated.

**Crossover**: Forgotten Realms/Andromeda

**Characters**: Beka, T. Rhade, Harper, Dylan, Trance and original character

**Disclaimer**: Story is mine, but that's about it. Regrettably, I'm not making any money off this. :(

**Rating**: PG-13 for a little violence and adult situations

**Dedicated to:** One of my best friends, Erin Fallon, who is leaving my school this year.

Illusions

_If someone on your crew is_

_acting oddly or hiding something from you,_

shoot them

_It makes life much easier._

-Anonymous Nietzschean

Chapter 1

Beka watched as the worker androids lifted the last of the spare parts into the Maru's cargo pod, silently thanking Harper for convincing Andromeda to allow Beka to bring along some of the worker 'bots.

"That's all of it, Beka," Rommie's voice said from one of the 'bots. The five androids proceeded to walk into the cargo pod and shut down.

Beka closed the cargo pod door and was on her way to the cockpit when a bright flash of light off to the side startled her. "What the hell" she muttered, drawing her forcelance and blinking furiously to get rid of the spots that were annoyingly blocking her vision. She froze as the muzzle of a gun pressed into the back of her neck, lifting her hands as a show of surrender.

"You, Beka," a feminine voice from behind her said, taking the forcelance. "Move!"

"Whatever you say, you got the gun," Beka replied as the person roughly shoved her toward the cockpit. The voice sounded familiar, but the inflection didn't. _Distracted by a flash of light,_ she berated herself. _Oldest trick in the book, and I fell for it. How did she get on board anyway?_ She kept her hands raised as she was shoved into the pilot's chair.

"Set a course for the _Andromeda_," the woman demanded.

Beka snorted. "Why should I take you to the _Andromeda_?"

"Simple," the woman said calmly. "I have the gun. You don't."

"Can't argue with that logic," Beka said, igniting the engines.

As Beka entered Slipstream, the woman spoke for the first time since lifting off. "Put it on auto-pilot," the woman ordered.

Beka complied; sliding the chair back as the woman bound her hands together with... rope? "Kinda old-style, then, huh?" Beka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It works well enough," the woman responded. "It's the main thing we use where I come from."

"So where do you come from?"

"You don't need to know yet," the woman said. "Turn around."

Beka stood up and turned around to look at her kidnapper. She saw the face and nearly fell over in shock.

Her kidnapper looked exactly like... _herself_.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Who are you?" Beka demanded, staring into a face that mirrored her own. "_What_ are you?"

"Well, I could really confuse you and say I'm you," the woman who looked like Beka said wryly. "But I wouldn't do that to you. I admire you too much."

"But you don't admire me enough to give me my forcelance back."

The woman shook her head. "No." She smirked. "But I will tell you my name. You can call me Terla."

"So what are you, some kinda of evil twin?" Beka asked, still shocked by her own face staring at her.

"Not exactly," Terla said. She gestured with the pistol. "Would you like to sit down? It's a long story."

Beka sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. _Ok, Beka, let's review the facts. Person who looks exactly like me kidnaps me, says she admires me, and makes sure I'm comfortable? This just doesn't add up!_

Terla sat down across from her and kept the pistol pointed toward Beka. Then, before Beka's eyes, Terla's body morphed into a humanoid creature with smooth gray skin.

Beka flinched. _Uh, _weirdness_ alert!_

Terla smiled. In a voice that was now genderless, she -no, _it_- asked pleasantly, "First question?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What the hell was that!?" Beka demanded. "What are you!?"

"I'm a doppelganger, Beka." Terla held up a hand to stem questions. "A shapeshifter, not of your own galaxy... hell, not from your universe."

Beka was intrigued. "Then where are you from?"

"You would not be able to pronounce my home plane, but the place where I most frequently make my home is the plane of Faerun."

"Fair-oon," Beka repeated. "What's a plane?" She wanted to keep the... thing occupied until she could wriggle her hands free of the pathetic rope bonds.

"It's complicated to explain," Terla told her. It rested its chin on its fist. "Picture... one of your galaxies... no, maybe one of those things you call 'planets' encased in... in a bubble, along with stars and maybe a moon, governed by gods. There are multiple planes, each different. Compared to where you are technologically, Faerun is in the Iron Age of ancient Earth, but with one difference. We have magic, spells we can cast to harm, heal, hell, even bring people back to life." 

Beka's eyes widened in mock disbelief. "Really? Could you show me one of your 'magic spells'?" she asked sarcastically.

The doppelganger smirked. "Certainly." Terla closed her eyes and waved her hands, murmuring strange words, then pointed at Beka- more specifically, at Beka's hands.

Beka cried out in surprise and fear as the rope encircling her hands became living snakes, which hissed and curled tightly around her hands, binding them securely. "That's a nice trick," Beka admitted, trying to stop her racing heart. _Why, why, _why_ didn't I listen to Dylan and bring Rhade or Harper with me?_

"Satisfied?" Terla asked sweetly. "Or would you like to see another?" Not waiting for a reply, she began casting another spell, again pointing at Beka.

There was no visible result, and as Beka opened her mouth to point this out... no sound came out.

"Small zone of silence," Terla explained, smiling innocently. "Only encompassing your mouth." The doppelganger grinned. "Would you like to know what I plan to do with you?"

Beka nodded her head fervently, seriously worried.

"I was practicing magic when I accidentally opened a portal to your world. Mind you, a small portal, only large enough to see through. And what I saw..." Terla shook her head in disbelief. "Starships, flying about in space. And then... I saw your Andromeda. I cast several spells to ensure the portal would not close, and studied you for several months. And then I decided that your Andromeda would be a _very_ useful tool in subjecting Faerun to my rule. I found a way to enlarge the portal, and when the time was right... I teleported onto your ship." The doppelganger smiled, and waved its hands. "I've dispelled the sphere of silence."

"Dylan will never give up his ship to you!" Beka announced. "More people than you have tried. He'd die first."

"Yes, I'm sure." Terla smiled wickedly. "Then die he must..." it said in mock sadness, morphing into Beka. "... by your hand."

"Uh, wait!" Beka said, thinking fast as the Maru exited Slipstream. "To make sure you don't get found out, make sure you call Dylan 'Captain' and _always_ salute, or else he'll know its not me," she lied.

"Nice try," Terla said, smirking. _She has my voice down perfectly now_, Beka noted. "I already extracted the information I need to know from your brain. Your 'Dylan' won't be able to tell the difference," it said confidently.

Beka heard Terla talk to Dylan over the com speaker. _Terla's right,_ she thought with a sinking feeling. _Dylan won't be able to tell the difference._

"Oh, one more thing," Terla said, coming out of the pilot's chair and walking back to Beka. "Just a precaution." The doppelganger cast another spell, smiled, and walked back to the cockpit.

Beka was frozen in place, unable to do anything but blink. Halfway to the cockpit, Terla stopped and turned back to Beka. "You know," she said thoughtfully. "I'd hate for you to be bored while I'm ruining your life." It cast a spell and a little blob of goo appeared on the wall in front of Beka. It grew until it was about as large as a viewscreen. "Once I get off the Maru," Terla explained, "you'll be able to see everything I'll be doing as if you were standing right behind me." The doppelganger's brow furrowed in thought. "You know," she said thoughtfully again. "After having some fun with him, I think I'll kill your Nietzschean friend first." Terla smiled cruelly.

"Enjoy the show."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Telemachus Rhade walked down one of the many corridors of Andromeda for no better reason than to stretch his legs. He was bored and thought that maybe he'd go down to Hydroponics to talk to Trance. Harper annoyed him too much to be around most of the time, and Rommie was probably with him. Telemachus also felt that Dylan was still a little uncomfortable with him, since he was the exact genetic copy of Dylan's best friend who had betrayed him. With Beka gone, the only one to talk to was the mysterious Trance.

As he rounded a corner on his way to Hydroponics, he heard running footsteps behind him. He turned, curious, and walked back a few steps; just in time to catch a flying Beka in his arms, knocking him to the ground.

"Telemachus!" Beka straddled him, and her blue eyes looked at him seriously. "I missed you."

"I, uh... missed you too, Beka," Rhade said, looking up at her in surprise.

Beka kissed him gently on the nose. "I'll see you later; gotta check in with Dylan, ya know?" She smiled and slowly got off of him, walking down the corridors on the way to command.

Telemachus stayed on the floor for a few more seconds; then stood up. "Andromeda?" he asked the empty corridor.

"Yes, Rhade?" Andromeda's hologram flickered in front of him.

"Did Beka just come up to me, knock me on the ground, and tell me how much she missed me?" he asked. "Or was I hallucinating."

"No, she did," Rommie said, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

Telemachus growled deep in his throat and walked away as Rommie's hologram disappeared after watching him thoughtfully.

Once the hologram disappeared, Rhade stopped and leaned against the wall, thinking. _Ok, what was that?_ he asked himself. First off, she had called him by his first name, which he hadn't even thought she knew. Second, only a few days ago, Beka had tried to rip his heart out. Since then, he had given up on any hope of a relationship with Beka. It was not good for a Nietzschean's heath to form a relationship with people who tried to kill you, even if they were possessed by evil bio-armor. He hadn't thought that Beka felt that strongly about him.

Harper walked by. "Hey, Rhade," he said cheerfully.

"What, Harper?" Rhade growled.

"Don't think too hard, you might strain yourself!"

Telemachus grimaced. "I thought you weren't going to make anymore Nietzschean jokes."

Harper grinned that annoying 'I'm-better-than-you' grin- until Rhade growled low in his throat and lunged at Harper, who sprang away and ran down the corridor, leaving Rhade alone with his thoughts about Beka.

Back on board the Maru, Beka would have smiled in triumph if she could. Terla/Beka had just made a big mistake.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Beka?" Dylan asked in surprise. "Shouldn't you be supervising the worker 'bots as they unload the cargo?"

"Um, yeah, yeah," Terla/Beka said. "Just thought I should, ya know, check in, make sure you didn't have anything for me to do."

"No, Beka, that's alright," Dylan replied, looking at her oddly. "You can just take off once the 'bots are done." _Beka never comes to me for assignments,_ he thought, watching as she left the Command Deck. _That was different._

In the middle of a corridor Terla/Beka stopped and leaned against the wall. "So, Beka, enjoying this?" she asked knowing Beka would be able to see and hear her over the magic broadcast. Terla/Beka smirked and headed toward the Maru to supervise the worker 'bots.

As Terla/Beka walked away down the corridor, Andromeda's hologram appeared in the hallway, silently watching as Terla/Beka walked toward the Hanger Bay.

Harper was running full speed down the corridor, unaware that Rhade wasn't actually following him. WAM! Harper slammed hard into Terla/Beka.

"Watch where you're going, stupid little twerp!" she snapped, shoving him away.

Harper fell down hard on his butt. "Boss?" he asked in surprise. "What crawled up your ass and bit you?"

"Just watch where you're going," Beka/Terla said, walking away.

Harper just sat there, a hurt expression on his face.

Back on the Maru, Beka would have smiled again. Sure, sometimes she thought Harper was a stupid little twerp, but she never told him. Also she never went to Dylan for an assignment. Terla/Beka had made her second, and third, mistake.

Three strikes and you're out.

Harper stood up and began walking slowly back the way he came. When he saw Rhade still leaning against the wall, he stopped in front of him.

"Another Nietzschean joke?" Telemachus asked flatly, looking at Harper.

"No, Rhade," Harper said seriously. "Beka."

"What about her?" Telemachus asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Has she been acting, you know, like, weird?" Harper asked.

"Now that you mention it," Telemachus said, looking down at Harper. "That's what I was thinking about before, you annoying little man!"

"Hey, there's no call for that!" Harper protested.

Telemachus grunted. "Well, yes, she has been acting rather... strangely."

"Maybe we should ask Trance to find out what's wrong with her," Harper suggested.

"No," Telemachus responded. "She could just be under a lot of stress, and counseling might just make her more angry."

"Whatever you say, big man," Harper said. "But we'll keep an eye on her?"

"Definitely."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Halfway to the Hanger Bay, Andromeda's humanoid avatar stopped her.

"Beka, what's wrong with you?" Rommie asked, falling into step beside Beka. "I've never seen you snap at Harper like that." _Except when you were on Flash._

"Sorry," Terla/Beka said, sighing. "I'm just... preoccupied."

"I understand." Rommie nodded. "Would you like to tell me about it?"

"No, I'll, I'll be fine Rommie," Terla/Beka replied. "I just need to unwind a bit."

Rommie nodded and walked away. Terla/Beka sighed in relief, and continued on her way to the Hanger Bay.

Telemachus was still confused about Beka. Despite what he told Harper, he didn't think that it was mere stress. The Nietzschean made a decision.

"Andromeda?" he asked again.

The hologram appeared.

"Do you know where Beka is?" he asked.

"She's on her way to the Hanger Bay," Andromeda replied.

Telemachus started walking toward the hanger.

"Do you want me to tell her you're coming?" Andromeda asked.

Telemachus shook his head. "No, don't."

"Very well." The hologram disappeared.

The Nietzschean arrived at the exact instant Terla/Beka stepped into the cargo pod, so he didn't see her. Telemachus decided to enter the airlock and see if Beka was on board the Maru. As he walked back through the cockpit, his eyes came upon a rigidly sitting Beka, watching a viewscreen on the wall in front of her.

"Beka?" he asked, walking toward her. The image on the screen was Beka ordering the worker 'bots in the cargo pod.

No answer. Beka didn't even turn to face him.

Telemachus stood in front of her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Beka?"

She blinked frantically at him, but that was all. Telemachus gave her a light punch from the side. Beka fell over, still in the position she was sitting in.

"Beka, what's going on?" he demanded, frustrated.

"What are you doing here!" Beka's voice shouted from behind him.

Telemachus turned, confused to see a very angry Beka facing him. He looked from the motionless Beka to the angry Beka. _Huh?!?_

At that moment, Terla/Beka charged at Rhade. "I won't have you ruining my plans, not when I'm so close!" she screamed, launching into a vicious jump-kick.

Telemachus ducked and dove forward, putting as much space as he could between the angry Beka. He was abruptly reminded of a similar scene that happened just days before, when Beka had attacked him on board the Maru. He leapt to his feet, flexing his bone blades.

Terla/Beka smiled, then came in with a dizzying karate attack that Telemachus was barely able to deflect. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded as Terla/Beka retreated.

"Poor, pathetic Nietzschean," Terla/Beka sighed. "You just don't understand, do you?"

Before Telemachus' eyes, Terla shapeshifted, becoming a certain Nietzschean Telemachus knew only by reputation, but whose actions haunted him every day.

"Gaheris Rhade," Telemachus said flatly.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"No," Terla replied, smirking. "I'll give you the short version of what I gave Beka. I am a shapeshifter, my name is Terla, and I'm going to kill you." She smiled. "I believe the form I am wearing has some significance for you? Maybe I'll wear it when I kill your captain." Terla appeared to think for a moment, then smiled. "No, this form betrayed your Captain three hundred and more years ago. Perhaps it is fitting..." Terla began morphing again. "... If I wear your form instead."

Telemachus looked at the shapeshifter wearing his face and smiled, preparing to meet the assault head on.

Then the shapeshifter's eyes widened in surprise, then crossed as it fell face-forward to the deck, revealing Beka standing behind it with a crowbar. "Spell wore off while it was talking," Beka explained, dropping the crowbar on top of the limp form, which had resumed its smooth gray skin.

"Spell?" Telemachus asked, looking at Beka oddly.

Beka shook her head. "Don't ask."

"So... everything that happened," Telemachus said slowly. "It wasn't actually you."

Beka shook her head and gestured toward the now blank wall where the magical viewscreen had been. "All I did was watch."

Telemachus bit his tongue to keep from asking the question he really wanted answered and instead asked; "So what do we do with... it."

Beka shrugged. "Bring it to Dylan?"

Telemachus nodded his agreement, lifting the unconscious form into a fireman's carry while Beka retrieved her forcelance.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A week later

Telemachus exited the Command Deck. His shift was over, and he was on his way to his quarters when a voice stopped him.

"Rhade?" Beka came up behind him. "You wanna walk with me to the Obs Deck?"

"Certainly." Telemachus folded his hands at the small of his back and walked beside her. "Something on your mind?" he asked, seeing her bite her bottom lip.

Beka bit down a little harder, then sighed. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, then closed it again.

Telemachus waited patiently, giving Beka the time to organize her thoughts.

The silence lasted until the reached the Obs Deck. Thankfully, it was empty except for Trance, who was

tending one of the plants.

Telemachus cleared his throat, and Trance looked up and smiled. "Leaving," she said, taking the hint. The gold alien paused halfway to the door and said; "Rommie, engage privacy mode."

"Acknowledged," Andromeda said, her voice coming out of nowhere and everywhere.

Trance smiled again and left, the door hissing shut behind her.

Beka leaned against the railing, facing the enormous window that gave Obs Deck its name.

Telemachus stood behind her, hands still folded at the small of his back.

Beka sighed. "Tle-," she paused. "How do you say your first name again?"

He smiled patiently. "Telemachus."

"Telemachus. I just," Beka hesitated. "I wanted to say... I'm sorry."

Telemachus frowned. "For what?"

"For almost killing you two times in a week," she replied sadly.

Telemachus shook his head, moving to stand beside her. "You don't need to apologize," he said, not looking at her, just staring straight ahead at the stars. "Well, for the first time, yes, perhaps, but the second time it wasn't you, just some... alien wearing your face.

"I don't blame you, Rebecca," he said softly, moving as if to put a hand on her arm, then hastily drawing it back. "If you ever want to talk to me, Beka, about anything, I'll always listen." Telemachus smiled, gently slipped something into her palm, and turned heel and walked away, keying the door open. "Deactivate privacy mode," he ordered, then walked down the corridor after keying the door shut.

Beka stood there, watching the stars, then peeked down at the object he had given her. It was a silver chain, on which was a gold locket shaped like a book. Engraved on the inside were a few lines from an ancient Earth poem by Ernest Hemmingway. She read it out loud.

"I am the master of my fate;

I am the captain of my soul."

End note: I just wanna say that yes, the romance is going rather slow, because, like I said before, I'm a fantasy writer, not a sci-fi writer. (Immortal Elves = slow romance) Silver Spider, I've never talked to you before, but I loved your fanfic Invictus; it inspired me. Those two lines of poetry at the bottom were from Silver Spider's fanfic.


End file.
